美國波特蘭軟件公司總裁－林華建 《Dream Comes True For A High Tech CEO》

An interview with Hau Lam, CEO of TSSI.

Q: Tell us about yourself and your family. Where do you live? What’s your profession?
A: I  live in  Portland,  Oregon.  My  son  is  a  Junior  at  Santa  Clara  University.  My       daughter is a Sophomore at St  Mary’s Academy High School in Portland.  My wife         has  been  a  full-time  mom  and  full-time  wife (2 jobs).  I’m the  CEO  of TSSI, a         semiconductor test software company. I am a Computer Science major and I started         my career in the electronic engineering field as a software engineer.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in Bien Hoa.  My family owned a restaurant known as Hanh Phuoc at the         Bien Hoa City Center.

Q: What years did you attend Duc Duc School?
A: I skipped  kindergarten and went straight to 1st grade and stayed through 9th grade         from 1968 through 1977.

Q: Do you have siblings attending Duc Duc School and what are their names?
A: Two older brothers: Hoa Lam, Binh Lam. One younger brother: Thang Lam.

Q: Who were your teachers?
A: 陳漢良，潘景明，黃淸松，陳建華，吳池

Q:Who is your favorite teacher at Duc Duc School and why?
A: 吳池. Always encouraging. Caring for my well-being as the smallest kid in class.

Q: What is your favorite subject in school? Why?
A: Physical Education (體育).  I enjoyed it, but not very good at it comparing to other         basketball classmates, but I got speed.

Q: Whom did you hang out with at  Duc  Duc School?  Do you stay in touch with any          of them?
A: 劉志亮，陳奇武. We stay in touch but not frequently due to time constraint.

Q: Tell us what was it like during your time in  Vietnam?  How do you see your world          at that age?
A: The time was of course turbulent like most of us at Duc Duc.The golden childhood          full  of  dreams  turned  into  a  survival  life  without knowing your future starting          1975.  However,  my  goal  has been the same:  work  hard  toward  a  life that can          afford options for me and loved ones.

Q: How did you decide to become a CEO?
A: I have always wanted to have control over my life. With control, you have options:         option to attend my daughter’s basketball practice anytime during the work day; or         fly  anywhere  to  attend  my  son’s  jazz  performance  any  time  of  the  week;  or         workout to keep sanity in my  work-life  balance anytime I needed it,  so that  I can         be the best I can be. That’s how  I have decided to become a  CEO, which  was  the         time  when  I  worked  a  dishwasher  and  a  janitor  during  my senior year in high         school.

Q: What is your challenge in becoming a CEO and how do you overcome or manage it?
A: There were, and still are, many challenges. The most important one is to know what        you’re good at and whether that expertise commands a growing market,  AND,  that        is  something  you’d  love  to  do  without  compensation.  Otherwise,   it  is  a  time        commitment that is hard to justify to your loved ones,  and  especially to yourself. It        is so challenging because most of us as refugees, gave up our childhood dreams and        can only afford to chase what’s best for financial independence.  Secondly,  it  is the        commitment.  Are  you  willing  to  navigate hardship  and achieve goals at all cost?        That  is,  it  could contradict your first goal because there will be times when a CEO        will have to do what she/he  doesn’t want to do:  managing  people  (some like to do        that, some don’t); solving problems at odd hours; etc. The 3rd challenge is personal:        I wanted to be a CEO that counts.  So  I  became a CEO of a  U.S. company that has        been  well known since the 1980’s in the semiconductor industry.  I  found  one  that        met   the   first   two  criteria  but  it  posed  challenges  that  an  Asia   refugee  must        overcome:   language,   connection,   charisma,   stereotype,  connection,   and  more        connections.

Q: Describe your typical day.
A: • Get  up  at  6 AM  to  get  ready  and  catch  up  with what’s going in the world and          industry during my sleep.                                                                                                   • Drive  my  kids  to  school  (that’s  my  quality time with them in addition to family          dinner).                                                                                                                               • Attend any committed appointments,  otherwise,  go to family events that  are more          important than business.                                                                                                     • Early mornings are for European activities.                                                                       • Mid-U.S. business days are for the U.S. activities.                                                             • Evenings  are  for  activities  in  Asia  that  could shift slightly from Japan/Korea to         China, then Malaysia and Australia.                                                                                   • I usually jog or do weight training when the gym is less crowded time in the gym, I         spend at least 3 hours training for table tennis tournaments.                                             • Family  dinner  is  a  MUST,  and  that is  when  I drink to relax and call it the night         around 12:15 AM  after watching the Tonight Show with Jimmy  Fallon.  (I usually         pass out after his monologue.)

Q: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
A: Bought  TSSI,   the  most  famous  semiconductor  test  software  business  that  was        founded in 1979 and won many innovation awards.

Q: How do you handle set backs?
A: Remind  myself that there’s  nothing worse than escaping  Vietnam by walking from       Vietnam through Cambodia to Thailand through an old-growth tropical jungle.

Q: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
A: Kids, business, and life! There are so many things to do and enjoy!

Q:What wakes you up in the middle of the night?
A: Kids  having  problems.  Family  issues  that  I  don’t know how to handle especially       during crunch time when everything requires my attention.

Q: How do you define success?
A: Options. When I have options in everything I do, I know I’m not constrained by any        rules, finance, or other people’s schedule, especially bosses and/or customers. AND,        I know I get my options for doing what I enjoyed doing.

Q: How far are you willing to go to succeed?
A: My  definition  of  success  is  not simply in business or financial or family business,       but options. So I’d go as far as my selection of option does not compromise my other       priorities.

Q: What three pieces of advice would you give to college students who want to become        a leader?
A: • Learn:  know  what  and  whom  you’re  leading.  If  you  don’t know how to make          French fries, don’t manage the people who make French fries.                                          • Like:  just  like  the  captain of a boat, you must like everything about the boat and          what   it’s   supposed  to  do  and  where  it’s   going.   Otherwise,   you  will  make          everyone’s life miserable starting with yours.                                                                    • Commit: With commitment, you’re a better leader of a high school auction, then a          day-trader in Nasdaq.

Q: What three principles that you and your employees live by?
A: • Team  Work.  It’s a very loaded term and it’s overused but it’s important because it          involves so many aspects of what one must do or change according to one’s ability          in different circumstances. No one can achieve greatness alone.                                      • Accountability. Own your job.  Be accountable to your role as you’d like to be able          to rely on others’ commitment.                                                                                         • Know your happiness. 好景自己去尋！

Q: What  did you learn during your years in  Duc  Duc  School  that contributes to your        success?
A: 禮義廉恥

Q: Name  one  thing  you  learned  at  Duc Duc School that you applied to your life and       would pass it on to your children.
A: 今天功课今天做，明天還有新功課.

Q: What good books have you read and  would  recommend?  Name  a  recent  Chinese        book that you read.
A: • “Negotiate This!” by Herb Cohen. 2003.                                                                            • “Straight From The Gut” by Jack Welch. 2001.                                                                • “Seeing What’s Next”by  Clayton M Christensen,  Scott D Anthony,  Erik A Roth.          2004.                                                                                                                                    • 三國演義                                                                                                                            • 李白精選 (on-going)

Q: What you do for fun?
A: Table tennis. Golf. Movies.

Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration (besides your loved ones)?
A: Innovations. Any disruptive technology inspires me.

Q: What makes you happy?
A: A  good  conversation  over  a  good  meal  after  a long hard day and to find out that       everyone is happy.

Q: Name three adjectives that describe YOU.
A: Ambitious. Humble. Persevere.

Q: If you can do it all over again, name one thing you would do differently.
A: I’d stay in school longer.

Interviewer: Laura Tran

寫信給林華建， 請按此。